In a world in which upstart DIY talent is flooding the gates of electronic music, a few recent voices have been so strong as to be startling. Lapalux - aka 25-year-old Stuart Howard - is certainly one such. As singular as a brilliant artist always should be, his instinctive understanding of the atmospheric power of texture grips the ear immediately on listening. Nostalchic is his debut album, mission statement, and the climax of many years of studying his craft.

The amalgam of words that make the title is aptly, and perhaps knowingly chosen. The album evokes nostalgia without ever sounding nostalgic, and Howard may have had his tongue in his chic when he added the second half of the title. The album is his most focused document to date, adding his beloved R&B and soul into elements of house and hip hop, all with the trademark Lapalux finish; infectious, lopsided swing and achingly deep texture.

“Like the R&B of another time and place, transmitted from an unknown
planet in a distant galaxy into the mind of a wildly creative sound
designer.” – XLR8R

“Fans of the Kimbies, James Blake’s ‘CMYK’, Four Tet, Bibio, FlyLo,
Matthewdavid, Onra, Debruit and all those guys – meet your new favourite
producer.“ – Boomkat

“Lapalux is probably one of the finest producers out there at the moment” – Oli Marlow, Sonic Router

In a world in which upstart DIY talent is flooding the gates of electronic music, a few recent voices have been so strong as to be startling. Lapalux - aka 25-year-old Stuart Howard - is certainly one such. As singular as a brilliant artist always should be, his instinctive understanding of the atmospheric power of texture grips the ear immediately on listening. Nostalchic is his debut album, mission statement, and the climax of many years of studying his craft.

The amalgam of words that make the title is aptly, and perhaps knowingly chosen. The album evokes nostalgia without ever sounding nostalgic, and Howard may have had his tongue in his chic when he added the second half of the title. The album is his most focused document to date, adding his beloved R&B and soul into elements of house and hip hop, all with the trademark Lapalux finish; infectious, lopsided swing and achingly deep texture.

“Like the R&B of another time and place, transmitted from an unknown
planet in a distant galaxy into the mind of a wildly creative sound
designer.” – XLR8R

“Fans of the Kimbies, James Blake’s ‘CMYK’, Four Tet, Bibio, FlyLo,
Matthewdavid, Onra, Debruit and all those guys – meet your new favourite
producer.“ – Boomkat

“Lapalux is probably one of the finest producers out there at the moment” – Oli Marlow, Sonic Router

Simon Green, AKA Bonobo, is an artist very much at the peak of his powers. His 2013 album ‘The North Borders’ was the high watermark of his career to date: a masterful record, marrying Green's inimitable melodic genius to cutting edge electronics, bass and drums.

An artist that constantly pushes himself outside of his musical comfort zone, Bonobo’s ranging personal tastes and regularly expanding range of synthesizers and instruments continue to take his productions to new levels. This outlook has earned him a reputation as one of the most pioneering figures in electronic music, in both his solo DJ sets and 12-piece live band shows.

All this comes as the result of over ten years hard work, and five albums that have honed Green's skills. A born musician, Green - like many artists - expresses himself most articulately via his music. The result is that his work is always keenly felt, and always feels imperative. There are no wasted moments, and myriad great ones.

It's tempting to relate Green's yearning, emotive aesthetic to his upbringing in rural Hampshire. His move to Brighton is also an influence; his skill at drum programming perhaps harking back to his days DJing and producing in the small, musically fertile town. Under the initial guidance of Tru Thoughts' Rob Luis and at nights such as Phonic:hoop, Bonobo found an early education in music.

His first album - 2000's 'Animal Magic' - was released via Tru Thoughts before being picked up by Ninja Tune. It announced him as a serious talent; able to bring a true musician's edge to electronic music, with all the freedom that skill allowed. His subsequent albums for Ninja, Dial M for Monkey and Days to Come, developed his sensibility, won him fans across the globe, and saw him develop his live show into a mesmeric re-working of his records.

He also worked hard as a DJ, a part of Green's arsenal that perhaps truly came into its own at the same time as 2010’s Black Sands. 2012 saw him take the uptempo, club re-edits of Black Sands from a seminal Boiler Room performance in London to dance floors across the world, and unveil a new light show that further enhanced the impact of these stunning songs. A remix album was released featuring reworkings by fans and peers such as Machinedrum, Floating Points, Mark Pitchard, Lapalux and Falty DL.

Later the same year, he finally settled down in his New York studio to write his fifth album. The North Borders was another long stride forward - both a natural evolution and a continuation of the electronic palette of Black Sands. Thematic, resonant, addictive and perfectly formed, it's a thrillingly coherent statement piece. With vocal features from no less than Erykah Badu, as well as Grey Reverend (Cinematic Orchestra) and Cornelia (Portico Quartet) it's another finely balanced body of work, leaving room for the beautiful, rich productions themselves to breathe and shine.

Bonobo has a long history of unearthing new talent (Andreya Triana, Bajka) and The North Borders saw him do so once again. The startling vocals of new collaborator Szjerdene are sprinkled across the album, and Green has yet again found the perfect voice to express where he's at.

Since the album’s release, Green has gone on to play over 175 shows across three continents and 30 countries, wowing audiences of almost 2 million people with the hypnotic, extended live versions of his songs. He performed sold out shows at The Sydney Opera House and Brixton Academy, and his very own, day long festival at London’s Roundhouse. 2014 saw him and his band play the iconic Coachella festival, Sonar, Glastonbury and many more. This period of extensive touring came to a breathtaking close with his largest show to date at London’s Alexandra Palace in November. In celebration, Ninja Tune released ‘The North Borders Tour. - Live’ in October. A deluxe release including a live album, hardback book and a DVD of seminal live performances from a truly memorable tour.

It’s a full schedule and then some, but one that’s constantly rewarding for his fans, and perhaps proves that Bonobo is not only one of the world’s hardest working artists in electronic music, but also one of its best.

Simon Green, AKA Bonobo, is an artist very much at the peak of his powers. His 2013 album ‘The North Borders’ was the high watermark of his career to date: a masterful record, marrying Green's inimitable melodic genius to cutting edge electronics, bass and drums.

An artist that constantly pushes himself outside of his musical comfort zone, Bonobo’s ranging personal tastes and regularly expanding range of synthesizers and instruments continue to take his productions to new levels. This outlook has earned him a reputation as one of the most pioneering figures in electronic music, in both his solo DJ sets and 12-piece live band shows.

All this comes as the result of over ten years hard work, and five albums that have honed Green's skills. A born musician, Green - like many artists - expresses himself most articulately via his music. The result is that his work is always keenly felt, and always feels imperative. There are no wasted moments, and myriad great ones.

It's tempting to relate Green's yearning, emotive aesthetic to his upbringing in rural Hampshire. His move to Brighton is also an influence; his skill at drum programming perhaps harking back to his days DJing and producing in the small, musically fertile town. Under the initial guidance of Tru Thoughts' Rob Luis and at nights such as Phonic:hoop, Bonobo found an early education in music.

His first album - 2000's 'Animal Magic' - was released via Tru Thoughts before being picked up by Ninja Tune. It announced him as a serious talent; able to bring a true musician's edge to electronic music, with all the freedom that skill allowed. His subsequent albums for Ninja, Dial M for Monkey and Days to Come, developed his sensibility, won him fans across the globe, and saw him develop his live show into a mesmeric re-working of his records.

He also worked hard as a DJ, a part of Green's arsenal that perhaps truly came into its own at the same time as 2010’s Black Sands. 2012 saw him take the uptempo, club re-edits of Black Sands from a seminal Boiler Room performance in London to dance floors across the world, and unveil a new light show that further enhanced the impact of these stunning songs. A remix album was released featuring reworkings by fans and peers such as Machinedrum, Floating Points, Mark Pitchard, Lapalux and Falty DL.

Later the same year, he finally settled down in his New York studio to write his fifth album. The North Borders was another long stride forward - both a natural evolution and a continuation of the electronic palette of Black Sands. Thematic, resonant, addictive and perfectly formed, it's a thrillingly coherent statement piece. With vocal features from no less than Erykah Badu, as well as Grey Reverend (Cinematic Orchestra) and Cornelia (Portico Quartet) it's another finely balanced body of work, leaving room for the beautiful, rich productions themselves to breathe and shine.

Bonobo has a long history of unearthing new talent (Andreya Triana, Bajka) and The North Borders saw him do so once again. The startling vocals of new collaborator Szjerdene are sprinkled across the album, and Green has yet again found the perfect voice to express where he's at.

Since the album’s release, Green has gone on to play over 175 shows across three continents and 30 countries, wowing audiences of almost 2 million people with the hypnotic, extended live versions of his songs. He performed sold out shows at The Sydney Opera House and Brixton Academy, and his very own, day long festival at London’s Roundhouse. 2014 saw him and his band play the iconic Coachella festival, Sonar, Glastonbury and many more. This period of extensive touring came to a breathtaking close with his largest show to date at London’s Alexandra Palace in November. In celebration, Ninja Tune released ‘The North Borders Tour. - Live’ in October. A deluxe release including a live album, hardback book and a DVD of seminal live performances from a truly memorable tour.

It’s a full schedule and then some, but one that’s constantly rewarding for his fans, and perhaps proves that Bonobo is not only one of the world’s hardest working artists in electronic music, but also one of its best.

Zulu Guru is the first full-length collaboration from singer/songwriter Jesse Boykins III and producer/emcee MeLo-X. Both Jesse and MeLo-X have critically acclaimed self-released albums and duets.With Zulu Guru, they bring together a solid collection of songs that reflect and define a new direction in Hip Hop and R&B, both lyrically and musically. This new sound is rooted in traditional soul music, adding elements from multiple genres to serve a purely unique and honest look at modern romance. With Zulu Guru, Jesse and MeLo-X absorb influences from around the world into the production including Afro-Beat, West Indian, and Electronic Soul - expanding their brand and message worldwide.

"The history of the ZuLu is one rich with stories of royalty, valor and the warrior spirit. In an age of creative freedom through the use of social networks we have become warriors of free expression. Never bound by the shackles of genre, we travel and shift through musical landscapes breaking down barriers in the process. Our approach to music is similar to that of the spirited tribal warrior; conquering new land as we travel the world winning wars through romance. As we venture into a new level in our careers, we continue to embody the Zulu warrior spirit while elaborating on the romantic qualities in everyday life.

The greatest minds are the ones that connect wholeheartedly with their artistic visions and do all they can to make it reality. The Guru in us all simply craves evolution and tranquility which comes with experience, which is simply the process in which we become more and more true to ourselves: being able to acknowledge our flaws and mistakes and wrongdoings and grow for the better.

In this music there is honesty; pure understanding or putting forth the effort to understand the emotions that make us do what we do. We write to express and highlight things within ourselves and our culture that we feel hold some sort of significance, good or bad. We deeply connect with the many cultures of the world, traveling and over-involving ourselves with awareness. This music we bring to you is a sonic form of connection, a humbling form of passion, and the advancement of art in form of romance."

Zulu Guru is the first full-length collaboration from singer/songwriter Jesse Boykins III and producer/emcee MeLo-X. Both Jesse and MeLo-X have critically acclaimed self-released albums and duets.With Zulu Guru, they bring together a solid collection of songs that reflect and define a new direction in Hip Hop and R&B, both lyrically and musically. This new sound is rooted in traditional soul music, adding elements from multiple genres to serve a purely unique and honest look at modern romance. With Zulu Guru, Jesse and MeLo-X absorb influences from around the world into the production including Afro-Beat, West Indian, and Electronic Soul - expanding their brand and message worldwide.

"The history of the ZuLu is one rich with stories of royalty, valor and the warrior spirit. In an age of creative freedom through the use of social networks we have become warriors of free expression. Never bound by the shackles of genre, we travel and shift through musical landscapes breaking down barriers in the process. Our approach to music is similar to that of the spirited tribal warrior; conquering new land as we travel the world winning wars through romance. As we venture into a new level in our careers, we continue to embody the Zulu warrior spirit while elaborating on the romantic qualities in everyday life.

The greatest minds are the ones that connect wholeheartedly with their artistic visions and do all they can to make it reality. The Guru in us all simply craves evolution and tranquility which comes with experience, which is simply the process in which we become more and more true to ourselves: being able to acknowledge our flaws and mistakes and wrongdoings and grow for the better.

In this music there is honesty; pure understanding or putting forth the effort to understand the emotions that make us do what we do. We write to express and highlight things within ourselves and our culture that we feel hold some sort of significance, good or bad. We deeply connect with the many cultures of the world, traveling and over-involving ourselves with awareness. This music we bring to you is a sonic form of connection, a humbling form of passion, and the advancement of art in form of romance."

Alfred Darlington isn’t a paint-by-numbers musician. From how he looks
(early Victorian Dandyism), to how he makes music, or how he expresses
himself and views the world, his is a very individual ‘bespoke’ outlook.

Alfred was born in Santa Monica in 1977 to an artist mother and
professor father. Musical from very early on, as a child he was
classically and jazz-trained in a number of instruments, but his
interests were broad and varied – less a prodigy than a renaissance boy
whose obsessions ranged from Greek legend to the mountains of Wales. As a
15 year old he finally persuaded his parents to take him to the
Principality. Whilst in a YWCA in London he flipped the radio dial,
found a pirate radio station and taped some UK rave and hardcore. “It
was my first ‘Eureka!’ moment in music,” he says.

Back in the US he joined local rock bands, jazz bands and ska bands,
which he enjoyed but felt limited by, too. At home he was listening to
Warp, Ninja and your harder electronic stuff. He started DJing out the
more leftfield side of drum & bass and making his own rudimentary
productions. They were meant to fit the d&b template but they kept turning
out different and from his outsider’s experiments his own style was
born. He chose the name Daedelus as he had a childhood obsession with
invention, and what was he doing, after all, if not tinkering and
fiddling and experimenting like the “gentleman inventors” of old?

In 1999 he started DJing on Dublab.com for his 'Entropy Sessions' and
began dropping in his own early demo productions. Carlos Nino (of
Ammoncontact) had the show after him and usually pushed Alfred out the
studio as quickly as possible as he was not so enamoured with Alfred’s
leftfield-electronic DJ style, but when he heard a tranquil Daedelus
production he took Daedelus and introduced him to the LA scene. Nino
placed Daedelus tracks on two influential compilations and then Plug
Research released his debut album, 'Invention' in 2002. Remixers
included Madlib, who later took Daedelus' accordion parts and used them
on 2004's Madvillain record.

In 2003, he was booked to play a show in San Diego by Brian Crabtree and
Peter Siegerstrong and the pair asked him to test out an early
prototype of the Monome. "It’s a Non-traditional electronic instrument,”
Daedelus explains. “Basically it allows for massive improvisation."
Since then Daedelus has continued to use this revolutionary controller,
bringing much genuine liveness to the sometimes static world of
performed electronic/dance music.

In 2003 he did 'The Weather' album with Busdriver and Radioinactive and
the remix album 'Rethinking the Weather' on Mush records. 2004 saw the
release of 'Of Snowdonia' on Plug Research, the album with which
Daedelus says he first “felt true artistic confidence, finding a true
voice. I was finally in the right zone.”

There was certainly no let up in his creativity. Also in 2004 he
released the concept album 'A Gent Agent' on micro-label Laboratory
Instinct. The 2005 album 'Exquisite Corpse' on Mush featured the likes
of TTC, Mike Ladd and MF DOOM. Ninja signed Daedelus for UK/Europe (a
relationship which reached its full expression on 2008's 'Love To Make
Music To', his first album for the label worldwide and put together with
the help of their team).

In 2006 'Denies the Day's Demise' came out, a record showcasing his love
of Brazilian music. Last year he released his first live album, 'Live
At Low End Theory', and 'Fairweather Friends EP'. Later that year came
the release of his collaboration with his wife, Laura Darling, as the
pastoral 'The Long Lost'.

Since his last album 'Love To Make Music To' for Ninja there has been no
let up in Daedelus’ productivity. He has remixed or been remixed by and
produced with all of his LA scene peers including Flying Lotus, Nosaj
Thing, The Gaslamp Killer, Baths, and countless others from further
afield. In addition, singles and EPs under his own name have come out
with Brainfeeder, All City, Magical Properties (the Daedelus
home-imprint), Alpha Pup, Warp and Stones Throw. And all the while his
reputation has grown internationally, his place in the LA scene has also
solidified as a musician that many of the hottest names in the city
turn to for everything from bass clarinet licks to advice on obscure
electronics; all the while with a continuous string of tour dates across
North America, Asia, Europe, the UK, and beyond.

2011 starts not only with his new album but the meticulous planning of a
huge tour featuring guest vocalists from his 'Bespoke' LP and with a
spectacular visual show curated in part by Emmanuel Baird (of
Manchester's Warehouse Project and Hoya Hoya nights) which will feature a
top secret new invention codenamed ARCHIMEDES, promising to yet again
re-invent live electronic performance.

Alfred Darlington isn’t a paint-by-numbers musician. From how he looks
(early Victorian Dandyism), to how he makes music, or how he expresses
himself and views the world, his is a very individual ‘bespoke’ outlook.

Alfred was born in Santa Monica in 1977 to an artist mother and
professor father. Musical from very early on, as a child he was
classically and jazz-trained in a number of instruments, but his
interests were broad and varied – less a prodigy than a renaissance boy
whose obsessions ranged from Greek legend to the mountains of Wales. As a
15 year old he finally persuaded his parents to take him to the
Principality. Whilst in a YWCA in London he flipped the radio dial,
found a pirate radio station and taped some UK rave and hardcore. “It
was my first ‘Eureka!’ moment in music,” he says.

Back in the US he joined local rock bands, jazz bands and ska bands,
which he enjoyed but felt limited by, too. At home he was listening to
Warp, Ninja and your harder electronic stuff. He started DJing out the
more leftfield side of drum & bass and making his own rudimentary
productions. They were meant to fit the d&b template but they kept turning
out different and from his outsider’s experiments his own style was
born. He chose the name Daedelus as he had a childhood obsession with
invention, and what was he doing, after all, if not tinkering and
fiddling and experimenting like the “gentleman inventors” of old?

In 1999 he started DJing on Dublab.com for his 'Entropy Sessions' and
began dropping in his own early demo productions. Carlos Nino (of
Ammoncontact) had the show after him and usually pushed Alfred out the
studio as quickly as possible as he was not so enamoured with Alfred’s
leftfield-electronic DJ style, but when he heard a tranquil Daedelus
production he took Daedelus and introduced him to the LA scene. Nino
placed Daedelus tracks on two influential compilations and then Plug
Research released his debut album, 'Invention' in 2002. Remixers
included Madlib, who later took Daedelus' accordion parts and used them
on 2004's Madvillain record.

In 2003, he was booked to play a show in San Diego by Brian Crabtree and
Peter Siegerstrong and the pair asked him to test out an early
prototype of the Monome. "It’s a Non-traditional electronic instrument,”
Daedelus explains. “Basically it allows for massive improvisation."
Since then Daedelus has continued to use this revolutionary controller,
bringing much genuine liveness to the sometimes static world of
performed electronic/dance music.

In 2003 he did 'The Weather' album with Busdriver and Radioinactive and
the remix album 'Rethinking the Weather' on Mush records. 2004 saw the
release of 'Of Snowdonia' on Plug Research, the album with which
Daedelus says he first “felt true artistic confidence, finding a true
voice. I was finally in the right zone.”

There was certainly no let up in his creativity. Also in 2004 he
released the concept album 'A Gent Agent' on micro-label Laboratory
Instinct. The 2005 album 'Exquisite Corpse' on Mush featured the likes
of TTC, Mike Ladd and MF DOOM. Ninja signed Daedelus for UK/Europe (a
relationship which reached its full expression on 2008's 'Love To Make
Music To', his first album for the label worldwide and put together with
the help of their team).

In 2006 'Denies the Day's Demise' came out, a record showcasing his love
of Brazilian music. Last year he released his first live album, 'Live
At Low End Theory', and 'Fairweather Friends EP'. Later that year came
the release of his collaboration with his wife, Laura Darling, as the
pastoral 'The Long Lost'.

Since his last album 'Love To Make Music To' for Ninja there has been no
let up in Daedelus’ productivity. He has remixed or been remixed by and
produced with all of his LA scene peers including Flying Lotus, Nosaj
Thing, The Gaslamp Killer, Baths, and countless others from further
afield. In addition, singles and EPs under his own name have come out
with Brainfeeder, All City, Magical Properties (the Daedelus
home-imprint), Alpha Pup, Warp and Stones Throw. And all the while his
reputation has grown internationally, his place in the LA scene has also
solidified as a musician that many of the hottest names in the city
turn to for everything from bass clarinet licks to advice on obscure
electronics; all the while with a continuous string of tour dates across
North America, Asia, Europe, the UK, and beyond.

2011 starts not only with his new album but the meticulous planning of a
huge tour featuring guest vocalists from his 'Bespoke' LP and with a
spectacular visual show curated in part by Emmanuel Baird (of
Manchester's Warehouse Project and Hoya Hoya nights) which will feature a
top secret new invention codenamed ARCHIMEDES, promising to yet again
re-invent live electronic performance.

Bassist/songwriter/vocalist Stephen Bruner, aka Thundercat, has music deeply rooted within. His father, Ronald Bruner, Sr., is an internationally renowned jazz drummer who played with the Temptations, Diana Ross, Gary Bartz and Gladys Knight. His brother Ronald Bruner, Jr., a Grammy-winning drummer, has played with the likes of Roy Hargrove, Stanley Clarke, and Wayne Shorter. Stephen joined his brother as a member of West Coast punk vets Suicidal Tendencies, playing bass on their worldwide tours while still in high school. He also toured through Japan with Stanley Clarke at the age of 16.

As Thundercat, Bruner takes his jazz roots and works with a mix of artists that suit his wildly experimental sensibilities - ranging from Flying Lotus, Erykah Badu, and Stanley Clarke, as well as more recent collaborations with Wiz Khalifa and Earl Sweatshirt, to name but a few. After meeting and touring with Flying Lotus, the two artists collaborated on Lotus’ 2010 LP Cosmogramma on the track "MmmHmm." Their kindred sense of musicality led to Thundercat’s 2011 solo debut The Golden Age of Apocalypse, co-produced by Flying Lotus, which opened Bruner up to a new stratosphere of songwriting and artistic exploration.

In 2013, Thundercat teamed up with executive producer Flying Lotus once again, to form a profound body of work for his second album, Apocalypse.’ Forthcoming on Lotus Brainfeeder imprint this July, the album straddles lines and pushes genres further, blurring the confines of pop, funk, electronica and prog rock, and creating something else entirely. Both vulnerable and fearless, a comedy and tragedy, Apocalypse is an intimate portrait of an artist who will continue to take music to a new place; the beyond.

Bassist/songwriter/vocalist Stephen Bruner, aka Thundercat, has music deeply rooted within. His father, Ronald Bruner, Sr., is an internationally renowned jazz drummer who played with the Temptations, Diana Ross, Gary Bartz and Gladys Knight. His brother Ronald Bruner, Jr., a Grammy-winning drummer, has played with the likes of Roy Hargrove, Stanley Clarke, and Wayne Shorter. Stephen joined his brother as a member of West Coast punk vets Suicidal Tendencies, playing bass on their worldwide tours while still in high school. He also toured through Japan with Stanley Clarke at the age of 16.

As Thundercat, Bruner takes his jazz roots and works with a mix of artists that suit his wildly experimental sensibilities - ranging from Flying Lotus, Erykah Badu, and Stanley Clarke, as well as more recent collaborations with Wiz Khalifa and Earl Sweatshirt, to name but a few. After meeting and touring with Flying Lotus, the two artists collaborated on Lotus’ 2010 LP Cosmogramma on the track "MmmHmm." Their kindred sense of musicality led to Thundercat’s 2011 solo debut The Golden Age of Apocalypse, co-produced by Flying Lotus, which opened Bruner up to a new stratosphere of songwriting and artistic exploration.

In 2013, Thundercat teamed up with executive producer Flying Lotus once again, to form a profound body of work for his second album, Apocalypse.’ Forthcoming on Lotus Brainfeeder imprint this July, the album straddles lines and pushes genres further, blurring the confines of pop, funk, electronica and prog rock, and creating something else entirely. Both vulnerable and fearless, a comedy and tragedy, Apocalypse is an intimate portrait of an artist who will continue to take music to a new place; the beyond.

These are just some of the words that have been used to describe the work of Mtendere Mandowa, better known as Teebs.

A producer, a painter, and a key member of Brainfeeder clan, recent years have seen Teebs surge toward the top of the so-called "beat scene", and though his affiliation with Flying Lotus certainly has something to do with his ascent, it's ultimately the music - a billowing brand of beautifully off-kilter, hip-hop-colored beat construction - that has set Mandowa apart from what has become an increasingly crowded field of like-mind producers.

Teebs now makes his home in Northeast Los Angeles, but the 26-year-old producer wasn't always an Angeleno. Born in the Bronx, Mandowa's childhood also included time spent in Georgia and Hartford, Connecticut before his family switched coasts, stopping in Monterey Park, California before settling into the cozy LA suburb of Chino Hills. It was there that Teebs first truly took shape as an artist; he began painting in 2005 and started making music shortly thereafter, both by himself and as part of a collective known as My Hollow Drum.

It didn't take long for people to take notice. Around this time, Teebs linked up with online radio stronghold Dublab, and quickly saw his network increase exponentially. In 2008, he was invited to come to Barcelona and participate in that year's edition of the annual Red Bull Music Academy. This prompted fellow RBMA alum Flying Lotus to look him up; the two actually met at the now-legendary Low End Theory party in Los Angeles, and within six months, Teebs was living in the same apartment complex as FlyLo and sharing a spot with fellow LA beatmaker Samiyam. Watching those two work fueled his own creative impulses, and he began assembling what would eventually become Ardour, his first full-length album.

Ardour may have properly put Teebs on the electronic music map, but the somber release - the LP was partially inspired by the death of his father, which took place in the middle of the record's genesis - was just one of his many noteworthy efforts. He teamed up with fellow LA beatmakers Daedelus and Jeremiah Jae for split releases; he collaborated with UK producer Jackhigh (who now goes by BNJMN) on an intriguing EP called The Tropics and later joined forces with leftfield beat pioneer Prefuse 73 for the Sons of the Morning project and the Speak Soon, Volume One EP; Brainfeeder offered up the explorative and vaguely defined Collections mini-album; and the label arm of My Hollow Drum dropped limited runs of both Ardour B-Sides and the Cecilia Tapes Collection, the later of which collected music pieces that originally soundtracked one of Teebs' art exhibitions. He's also been busy on the road, frequently touring the globe, often in the company of his fellow Brainfeeder affiliates.

Despite all of this activity, on a personal level, the last couple of years have been a time of relative calm for Teebs. It was during this time that he put together E s t a r a, his second proper full-length. As opposed to the turmoil that accompanied the creation of Ardour, his new album is an effort inspired by his life as it stands now, and represents a time when Teebs has finally been able to make music completely on his own terms. The record takes its name from the house where much of the music was created, and it finds Teebs filling his sonic canvasses with the same kind of lush, textured sounds he's always used; the key difference is that he's now operating with a renewed sense of purpose and a streamlined musical narrative. The techniques haven't changed, but Teebs' mastery of them certainly has. In short, he's grown as an artist, and continues to confidently forge his own path forward.

These are just some of the words that have been used to describe the work of Mtendere Mandowa, better known as Teebs.

A producer, a painter, and a key member of Brainfeeder clan, recent years have seen Teebs surge toward the top of the so-called "beat scene", and though his affiliation with Flying Lotus certainly has something to do with his ascent, it's ultimately the music - a billowing brand of beautifully off-kilter, hip-hop-colored beat construction - that has set Mandowa apart from what has become an increasingly crowded field of like-mind producers.

Teebs now makes his home in Northeast Los Angeles, but the 26-year-old producer wasn't always an Angeleno. Born in the Bronx, Mandowa's childhood also included time spent in Georgia and Hartford, Connecticut before his family switched coasts, stopping in Monterey Park, California before settling into the cozy LA suburb of Chino Hills. It was there that Teebs first truly took shape as an artist; he began painting in 2005 and started making music shortly thereafter, both by himself and as part of a collective known as My Hollow Drum.

It didn't take long for people to take notice. Around this time, Teebs linked up with online radio stronghold Dublab, and quickly saw his network increase exponentially. In 2008, he was invited to come to Barcelona and participate in that year's edition of the annual Red Bull Music Academy. This prompted fellow RBMA alum Flying Lotus to look him up; the two actually met at the now-legendary Low End Theory party in Los Angeles, and within six months, Teebs was living in the same apartment complex as FlyLo and sharing a spot with fellow LA beatmaker Samiyam. Watching those two work fueled his own creative impulses, and he began assembling what would eventually become Ardour, his first full-length album.

Ardour may have properly put Teebs on the electronic music map, but the somber release - the LP was partially inspired by the death of his father, which took place in the middle of the record's genesis - was just one of his many noteworthy efforts. He teamed up with fellow LA beatmakers Daedelus and Jeremiah Jae for split releases; he collaborated with UK producer Jackhigh (who now goes by BNJMN) on an intriguing EP called The Tropics and later joined forces with leftfield beat pioneer Prefuse 73 for the Sons of the Morning project and the Speak Soon, Volume One EP; Brainfeeder offered up the explorative and vaguely defined Collections mini-album; and the label arm of My Hollow Drum dropped limited runs of both Ardour B-Sides and the Cecilia Tapes Collection, the later of which collected music pieces that originally soundtracked one of Teebs' art exhibitions. He's also been busy on the road, frequently touring the globe, often in the company of his fellow Brainfeeder affiliates.

Despite all of this activity, on a personal level, the last couple of years have been a time of relative calm for Teebs. It was during this time that he put together E s t a r a, his second proper full-length. As opposed to the turmoil that accompanied the creation of Ardour, his new album is an effort inspired by his life as it stands now, and represents a time when Teebs has finally been able to make music completely on his own terms. The record takes its name from the house where much of the music was created, and it finds Teebs filling his sonic canvasses with the same kind of lush, textured sounds he's always used; the key difference is that he's now operating with a renewed sense of purpose and a streamlined musical narrative. The techniques haven't changed, but Teebs' mastery of them certainly has. In short, he's grown as an artist, and continues to confidently forge his own path forward.

As a DJ, Andy Carthy aka Mr. Scruff plays across the board, flitting between soul, funk, hip hop, jazz, reggae, latin, african, ska, disco, house, funk, breaks, soundtracks and loads more. As a producer he makes music that draws on these influences, with a large dose of cheek and good humour. His cartoon drawings illustrate gig flyers, record sleeves and CD covers, and usually accompany him at gigs as live animated visuals.

Carthy’s first encounter with mixing was as a 12 year old in late 1984, when a friend played him some of his uncle's electro records, notably the Streetsounds LP Crucial Electro Volume 1, opening his eyes and ears to the art of mixing records. Soon after he was constructing his own crude pause-button mixtapes, inspired by the electro compilations and various radio shows on stations such as Piccadilly, Radio Lancashire & Southside that exposed him to electro and hip-hop, soul, reggae and early house music. Shouts to John Peel (of course), Greg Wilson, Robbie Vincent, Richard Searling, Stu Allan, Lee Browne, Ranking Miss P, Scotty, Tony the Greek, Steve Barker, Gary Hickson, Sam Brown & Waxmaster.

Little by little Andy was building a collection fuelled by this knowledge, all the while improving his DJ skills. By 1987 he was proficient at turntable mixing and editing, although he was still using primitive home hi-fi gear. His first break came in 1994, when he met Barney Doodlebug, a DJ/Doodler who gave him his first Manchester gig, on a Sunday night in a venue called Dry Bar. He also passed on a demo tape to local label Rob's Records, which resulted in them releasing the first Mr. Scruff 12" single.

A regular on the Manchester scene through ’94-’95, he released a string of 12”s on Rob's Records subsidiary Pleasure, as well as sides for Echo Drop, Grand Central & Cup of Tea. His work for Grand Central with Mark Rae inspired some four-deck club performances, including friendly “battles” with DJ Food, which introduced him to the Ninja Tune fold.

Gigging across the UK (with Electric Chair, Off Centre, Fat City and Tru Thoughts) and Europe (with Grand Central), Mr. Scruff signed to Ninja Tune in 1998. His debut album Keep It Unreal arrived a year later, featuring the certified classic "Get A Move On", kick-starting his Manchester club night of the same name, borne of a desire to play exactly what he wanted, rather than having to fit in with the music policies of other club nights.

In 2010 Big Chill Festival invited Mr. Scruff to host his own tent, testament to his inimitable raw dancefloor magnetism as are his regularly rammed-to-the-rafters Keep It Unreal sessions at Band On The Wall (Manchester) and KOKO (London).

After receiving a mighty nudge by the giant elbow of Ninja, the majority of 2013 was spent in the studio recording new album Friendly Bacteria, featuring Denis Jones, Matthew Halsall, Phil France, Vanessa Freeman & Robert Owens.

As a DJ, Andy Carthy aka Mr. Scruff plays across the board, flitting between soul, funk, hip hop, jazz, reggae, latin, african, ska, disco, house, funk, breaks, soundtracks and loads more. As a producer he makes music that draws on these influences, with a large dose of cheek and good humour. His cartoon drawings illustrate gig flyers, record sleeves and CD covers, and usually accompany him at gigs as live animated visuals.

Carthy’s first encounter with mixing was as a 12 year old in late 1984, when a friend played him some of his uncle's electro records, notably the Streetsounds LP Crucial Electro Volume 1, opening his eyes and ears to the art of mixing records. Soon after he was constructing his own crude pause-button mixtapes, inspired by the electro compilations and various radio shows on stations such as Piccadilly, Radio Lancashire & Southside that exposed him to electro and hip-hop, soul, reggae and early house music. Shouts to John Peel (of course), Greg Wilson, Robbie Vincent, Richard Searling, Stu Allan, Lee Browne, Ranking Miss P, Scotty, Tony the Greek, Steve Barker, Gary Hickson, Sam Brown & Waxmaster.

Little by little Andy was building a collection fuelled by this knowledge, all the while improving his DJ skills. By 1987 he was proficient at turntable mixing and editing, although he was still using primitive home hi-fi gear. His first break came in 1994, when he met Barney Doodlebug, a DJ/Doodler who gave him his first Manchester gig, on a Sunday night in a venue called Dry Bar. He also passed on a demo tape to local label Rob's Records, which resulted in them releasing the first Mr. Scruff 12" single.

A regular on the Manchester scene through ’94-’95, he released a string of 12”s on Rob's Records subsidiary Pleasure, as well as sides for Echo Drop, Grand Central & Cup of Tea. His work for Grand Central with Mark Rae inspired some four-deck club performances, including friendly “battles” with DJ Food, which introduced him to the Ninja Tune fold.

Gigging across the UK (with Electric Chair, Off Centre, Fat City and Tru Thoughts) and Europe (with Grand Central), Mr. Scruff signed to Ninja Tune in 1998. His debut album Keep It Unreal arrived a year later, featuring the certified classic "Get A Move On", kick-starting his Manchester club night of the same name, borne of a desire to play exactly what he wanted, rather than having to fit in with the music policies of other club nights.

In 2010 Big Chill Festival invited Mr. Scruff to host his own tent, testament to his inimitable raw dancefloor magnetism as are his regularly rammed-to-the-rafters Keep It Unreal sessions at Band On The Wall (Manchester) and KOKO (London).

After receiving a mighty nudge by the giant elbow of Ninja, the majority of 2013 was spent in the studio recording new album Friendly Bacteria, featuring Denis Jones, Matthew Halsall, Phil France, Vanessa Freeman & Robert Owens.

North Carolina-born artist Travis Stewart known as Machinedrum has produced and composed over a dozen albums under various aliases since his first independent release in 1999. Covering an astonishing variety of styles with ease, through solo Machinedrum work and with collaborative projects Sepalcure, JETS, Dream Continuum, or other mutations, Stewart has established himself as electronic music's true Renaissance man.

His debut as Machinedrum Now You Know, was released in 2001 on pioneering Miami-based Merck Records and gained worldwide attention and praise from musicians, fans and critics. Having a strong background in both acoustic and electronic instrumentation, he was quickly able to navigate those various elements on his early releases from field recording and vintage synth laden Urban Biology to his seminal production and mixing of This Charming Mixtape with MC Theophilus London and his critically acclaimed 2009 album Want To 1 2?
2010's Many Faces EP ushered the next phase of Machinedrum's career and a fruitful relationship with Glasgow-based label LuckyMe. Sepalcure, a duo launched with Praveen Sharma shortly after, became one of the most intriguing names in the bass music scene and a series of releases on bubbling imprint Hotflush has given the duo NYC ambassadorship of this UK-based genre.

Relocating to Berlin for a few years, Machinedrum maintained a steady flow of releases including the Alarmaa and SXLND EPs with LuckyMe and the critically-acclaimed Room(s) LP on Planet Mu Records, a fresh new exploration of juke, jungle, and drum&bass that garnered high praise across the music world.

The dance floor blitzkrieg JETS, his latest project with longtime collaborator Jimmy Edgar has kept him ahead of the curve once again, serving as yet another showcase for his musical evolution.

His biggest and boldest release came last year in the form of the full-length LP Vapor City on famed label Ninja Tune, a conceptual universe which included an interactive website, digital citizenship program for fans, and an art exhibit in NYC that launched with the album. With subsequent EPs, exclusive remixes from a series of heavyweights, and a critically-acclaimed world tour, Vapor City carried on his rich exploration of multimedia arts and music.

Delivering his signature on every thing he touches, through each solo album and EP, collaborations, or production work for the likes of Azealia Banks, Jamie Liddell, Jesse Boykins III and others, Machinedrum is now widely recognized as a producer's producer, a pioneer of many styles, and a master of his craft.

North Carolina-born artist Travis Stewart known as Machinedrum has produced and composed over a dozen albums under various aliases since his first independent release in 1999. Covering an astonishing variety of styles with ease, through solo Machinedrum work and with collaborative projects Sepalcure, JETS, Dream Continuum, or other mutations, Stewart has established himself as electronic music's true Renaissance man.

His debut as Machinedrum Now You Know, was released in 2001 on pioneering Miami-based Merck Records and gained worldwide attention and praise from musicians, fans and critics. Having a strong background in both acoustic and electronic instrumentation, he was quickly able to navigate those various elements on his early releases from field recording and vintage synth laden Urban Biology to his seminal production and mixing of This Charming Mixtape with MC Theophilus London and his critically acclaimed 2009 album Want To 1 2?
2010's Many Faces EP ushered the next phase of Machinedrum's career and a fruitful relationship with Glasgow-based label LuckyMe. Sepalcure, a duo launched with Praveen Sharma shortly after, became one of the most intriguing names in the bass music scene and a series of releases on bubbling imprint Hotflush has given the duo NYC ambassadorship of this UK-based genre.

Relocating to Berlin for a few years, Machinedrum maintained a steady flow of releases including the Alarmaa and SXLND EPs with LuckyMe and the critically-acclaimed Room(s) LP on Planet Mu Records, a fresh new exploration of juke, jungle, and drum&bass that garnered high praise across the music world.

The dance floor blitzkrieg JETS, his latest project with longtime collaborator Jimmy Edgar has kept him ahead of the curve once again, serving as yet another showcase for his musical evolution.

His biggest and boldest release came last year in the form of the full-length LP Vapor City on famed label Ninja Tune, a conceptual universe which included an interactive website, digital citizenship program for fans, and an art exhibit in NYC that launched with the album. With subsequent EPs, exclusive remixes from a series of heavyweights, and a critically-acclaimed world tour, Vapor City carried on his rich exploration of multimedia arts and music.

Delivering his signature on every thing he touches, through each solo album and EP, collaborations, or production work for the likes of Azealia Banks, Jamie Liddell, Jesse Boykins III and others, Machinedrum is now widely recognized as a producer's producer, a pioneer of many styles, and a master of his craft.

Big Dada are proud and pleased to announce that they will release the album Jungle Revolution by Congo Natty on 1 July 2013.
Congo Natty aka Rebel MC has a career dating back to his early hit with Double Trouble, "Street Tuff," but is probably most respected as one of the pioneers of Jungle - perhaps the first uniquely UK-born bass music.
Jungle Revolution features the whole of the extended Congo Natty family and was mixed with Adrian Sherwood. Clearly showing this Rasta's belief that Jungle is a re-boot of roots reggae for a new century, the record is full of blood and fire, the sternum-buzz of sub-bass, rapid fire drum breaks, sweet hooks, righteous anger and professions of religious fervour. It’s the kind of passionate, committed, raw and spiritual, beautiful record that doesn’t come along every day.

To celebrate this release, we are giving away the track "UK Allstars," which features a who's who of British soundsystem culture. This is the first time ever that this line up have all appeared on one track together and so also marks a historic coming together of a scene which lies at the roots of so much of what we now take for granted in UK music, from dubstep to grime to drum & bass and beyond.

Big Dada are proud and pleased to announce that they will release the album Jungle Revolution by Congo Natty on 1 July 2013.

Congo Natty aka Rebel MC has a career dating back to his early hit with Double Trouble, "Street Tuff," but is probably most respected as one of the pioneers of Jungle - perhaps the first uniquely UK-born bass music.

Jungle Revolution features the whole of the extended Congo Natty family and was mixed with Adrian Sherwood. Clearly showing this Rasta's belief that Jungle is a re-boot of roots reggae for a new century, the record is full of blood and fire, the sternum-buzz of sub-bass, rapid fire drum breaks, sweet hooks, righteous anger and professions of religious fervour. It’s the kind of passionate, committed, raw and spiritual, beautiful record that doesn’t come along every day.

To celebrate this release, we are giving away the track "UK Allstars," which features a who's who of British soundsystem culture. This is the first time ever that this line up have all appeared on one track together and so also marks a historic coming together of a scene which lies at the roots of so much of what we now take for granted in UK music, from dubstep to grime to drum & bass and beyond.